Lost and Found
by bubbles799
Summary: What are the Hammersley boys really doing crawling on the ground late at night?


This is the second fan fiction I've written. For those of you who haven't read my last fiction, I am an absolute fan of Sea Patrol and in particular, ET and Nikki. I am continuing in my world of denial (where ET isn't dead!) and this fiction is a romance because I love that sort of thing. This one is just a one part story I felt like writing for fun. I appreciate reviews and bare with me if I write too much detail!!!

Again, I don't own any of the Sea Patrol characters; I'm just borrowing them

Nikki sighed as she looked at the blank radar screen. Looks like we're in for a very boring night, she thought to herself. She looked over to where Spider was sitting at the helm, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

"Hey Spide, why don't you go get a coffee. The CO will kill me if I let you fall asleep during watch."

"Thanks ma'am. Would you like one?" he replied gratefully. Nikki nodded.

"Strong thanks Spider. I'm going to need something to get me through tonight without falling asleep," she smiled. Spider turned to RO and Charge who were sitting in their chairs, looking just as bored as they did.

"RO, Charge. Coffee?" asked Spider. Both nodded enthusiastically. Spider left the bridge and began heading down towards the galley, spying ET, Swain and Buffer crawling around on the ground just outside the galley. They all looked up quickly when they heard him coming.

"Oh, it's just Spider," sighed Swain and resumed looking on the ground.

"What are you guys doing," asked Spider, confused as he side stepped them to get to the galley.

"ET lost his engagement ring," piped up Bomber from the galley door. Spider raised his eyebrows.

"It's not mine, well it is but it's not," said ET whilst opening the cupboard near the galley.

"Are you getting married ET?" questioned Spider.

"Yeah, maybe," he replied whilst emptying the contents of the cupboard.

"He's not if we don't find the ring!" added Buffer. "And is emptying the food storage cupboard really going to help?"

"Well, it might," sighed ET. "How could I have lost it?"

"Just think. Where did you have it last?" asked Swain, standing up.

"I don't know, maybe in the..." he broke off as he heard a voice coming down the stairs.

"How long does it take to get a couple of coffees..." said Charge, but stopped after spying his shipmates crawling on the ground. "What's going on? Did someone lose a bet or something?"

"ET's lost his engagement ring," said Bomber again.

"I said before, it's not mine... Ok, whatever, I just need to find it," groaned ET.

"I'd offer to help but I'm on watch," said Charge. Just then, the door handle moved and Nikki walked through it.

"I was hoping to get a coffee sometime tonight," she joked but then noticed the looks on her colleagues faces. That and the fact that Buffer was on the floor made her suspicious.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Ah, well..." Spider started.

"Buff lost at poker again ma'am and his punishment was to crawl around the ship," butted in Charge.

"Yeah, you know Buff, he never can beat me at poker," added Swain. Although she didn't look convinced, she nodded.

"I'll see you guys back on the bridge then," she said simply to Charge and Spider before going back out the door she came in.

"Ok, so where did you lose it, mate?" asked Charge after Nikki had left.

"If I knew that it wouldn't be lost," replied ET. "I remember having it in the junior sailors mess, and then I went down to the engine room..."

"Buff, come and help me look in the engine room. You two can look in the junior sailors mess," said Charge, pointing to ET and Swain. "Spider, tell Nav that I've got to sort out something in the engine room."

"Got it Charge," replied Spider before stepping into the galley to make a coffee. They were just finishing a ground search outside the galley when Kate came down. She looked suspiciously.

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not, ma'am," replied Charge. Kate just shook her head.

"Hi X," said Bomber cheerfully when the XO approached. "You going on watch?" Kate nodded. Spider handed her a coffee.

"Ta Spider. I should probably go and relieve Nav. She does deserve to get some sleep." Without another word, she headed for the bridge.

"Let's just hope they find the ring," said Bomber before heading over to the sink. Spider smiled before heading back to the bridge

*****

It had just hit morning and Nikki was about to get a coffee before heading to the bridge.

"Quiet night, Nav?" asked the CO, stepping out of his cabin and following her to the galley.

"Yeah, nothing on radar," she replied. "Morning Bomb." Bomber looked up from cooking the eggs.

"Morning. I just made a brew so it should still be hot," she said.

"Thanks, Bomber," said Mike before heading over to the cups. He made one and held it out to Nikki.

"Thanks sir," she said gratefully taking the cup. They were just heading to the bridge when the CO stopped at the door of the junior sailors mess, causing Nikki to stop suddenly and nearly spill her coffee. She glanced in the door, seeing ET, Charge and Swain looking worse for wear with their heads on the table.

"Everything alright in here?" asked the CO, startling the dozing men. They looked up instantly.

"Ah yes. Morning sir, ma'am," replied Swain.

"Did you guys get any sleep last night?" asked Nikki, looking at their tired faces.

"Mmmm, plenty ma'am," said Charge, unconvincingly.

"And that problem with the engines, all fixed now?" queried Nikki.

"Problem?" asked the CO, looking between the Navigator and Charge.

"Nothing sir. Just picked up an unusual vibration in one of the engines but it was nothing," replied the engineer, not missing a beat.

"Right, well, tell Buffer that he's needed in the bridge in 5 minutes," said Mike before he and Nikki continued on to the bridge. ET and Charge let their heads sink back onto the table. But it didn't last long.

"Come on guys, lets get some breakfast and keep looking for that ring," said Swain standing up, rubbing his eyes.

*****

Kate was heading down towards the galley when she spotted something shiny on the ground. Bending down to pick it up, she found it was a ring. Wow, she thought. Someone's going to be missing this. She put it in her pocket and continued on to the galley

*****

"Morning sir," said Kate as she headed into the bridge.

"X," he nodded. "Another great day."

"Indeed, but not for someone," she replied. Mike and Nikki looked up in confusion. Kate pulled the ring from her pocket. "Found this on the way to the galley. I'm guessing someone's going to miss it." Nikki looked at it more closely.

"Well, whoever she is she's gonna be one lucky girl. It's gorgeous!" Mike laughed. Woman, he thought.

A little while later, Kate was still thinking about the owner of the ring when it dawned on her. What had the guys been doing last night? It seemed to fit. Why else would they be crawling around on the ground?

*****

Nikki was sitting in her cabin doing paperwork when Kate entered. She went into the tiny bathroom to fix her hair when she thought about the ring again. It had been bugging her all day. The guys crawling around last night seemed to fit. Swain was already married so it couldn't be his. Charge wasn't in a relationship that she knew of. Spider seemed too young. And Buffer was having problems with his girlfriend. That only left ET. It made her think. Could ET be proposing to Nikki? Nikki was her best friend and she wanted to know if Nikki thought it could be true.

"Hey Nikki, are you and ET still together?"

"Pardon?" asked Nikki in confusion. She pushed her desk chair back so she could see the X in the bathroom.

"Are things going well between you?"

"Ah, yeah. Why?" asked Nikki.

"Just wondering," replied Kate. She looked at Nikki's face. "What?"

"Since when do you just randomly ask me questions like that about my relationship?" Kate sighed.

"Ok, don't you dare say anything. Okay, promise?" said Kate. Nikki nodded.

"The ring, I think it might be for you."

"What?" asked Nikki, raising her voice in surprise.

"Shh!" cried out Kate. Nikki gave her a questioning look. "Okay, last night the guys were crawling around looking for something and then I find this ring." She held it up to make a point. "And ET is the only one it could fit with." Nikki just sat there stunned.

"Are you serious?" she finally asked. Kate shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm just guessing."

*****

Later that afternoon, Kate was running over a few things in the corridor when ET approached her. She could feel a question coming on so she signalled for him to speak.

"X, I've lost something," he started. "And it's really important..." Kate laughed.

"That's what you guys were crawling around doing last night wasn't it?" ET nodded. Kate giggled as she reached into her pocket. "It wouldn't happen to be this would it?" ET took one look at it and sighed with relief.

"Thank god, yes," he breathed happily, taking the ring from X. "Thank you." Kate laughed again and continued on her way. "X?" She turned around when ET called out her name. "Does Nikki know?"

"No," replied X with a smile. A little white lie but she knew Nikki would still be surprised. ET breathed out another sigh of relief and decided he was going to do it now, before he lost it again.

*****

ET finally found the person he was looking for in the galley. She was leaning on the bench talking to Spider and Bomber.

"Hey, Nik, can I borrow you for a moment?" She looked up, nodding before putting her cup down on the bench and heading out the door.

"Woo hoo," teased Spider when Nikki was out of earshot. Bomber hit him over the back of the head.

"Thanks Bomber," said ET as he left.

They walked up to the deck, looking out over the ocean. Nikki leaned against the rail and looked at ET. "So, what did you want to borrow me for?"

"Well," said ET nervously. "I lied." Nikki looked taken aback. ET noticed and quickly continued. "Oh, no no, nothing bad. Last night, Buffer hadn't really lost at poker. They were helping me look for something." Nikki looked confused, Kate's words not registering in her head. ET pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. Nikki gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Nikki, I love you, with all my heart, completely and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Nikki Caetano, will you marry me?" Nikki was speechless. Kate had been right.

"Of course I will!" she exclaimed happily, tears forming in her eyes. ET slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her closer to him. She threw her arms around his neck. Unbeknown to them, the crew on the bridge had seen everything and had gathered outside, cheering.

"It's about bloody time!" yelled Charge. ET and Nikki looked up at their shipmates, smiles plastered on their faces as the crew continued whistling. Kate smiled, realising she had been right all along.


End file.
